Tiger Woods will be seeking his second straight Masters title on a revamped Augusta National course that has been lengthened in the face of modern golf equipment. Can Tiger repeat? Who else can claim the green jacket on the longer course? Chat with USA TODAY golf editor Tom Clark about the tournament.

Comment from Tom Clark:
Hi...Thanks for tuning in...It's Thursday at The Masters and if you like golf, you're in heaven...except of course, you have to wait until 4 p.m. for USA Network to come on with coverage...but Sam Snead has already started the event with his ceremonial first drive (which went wide into the crowd and plunked a patron in the face...he's OK)..The players are on the course, the new lengthened course already seems to have major impact, and Tiger Woods is making birdies....
Memphis, TN:
Is there anyway to compare just how fast the greens are right now and will they react like the ones at Bay Hill earlier this year?

Tom Clark:
The greens are always fast at Augusta, but with some lingering raindrops today, they appear a bit slower today than usual...it isn't supposed to rain this weekend, so the greens will get harder, and more difficult, as the tournament goes on. Today may be the day to score if that is the case with the greens. If you haven't checked out our Bonus Section in USA TODAY today, please do. It analyzes the greens at Augusta, putting in general, and should get you primed for the weekend.OCEAN TWP., NEW JERSEY:
HOW COME THERE ISN'T MORE TV COVERAGE AT THE MASTERS? THE US OPEN, PGA & BRITISH OPENS SHOW ALL 4 ROUNDS COMPLETE. SOMETIMES STARTING FROM 10:00AM TO 6:00PM. I HEARD THE MASTERS PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO SHOW THE FRONT 9 HOLES WHICH IS A BAD EXCUSE. I'VE BEEN AT THE MASTERS BEFORE & THE FRONT NINE IS FINE, NICER THAN ANY OTHER COURSES I'VE SEEN ON TV.

Tom Clark:
Great question...lucky for golf fans, some changes and improvements have been made - most notably that on Sunday, CBS will for the first time plan to air all 18 holes of the leaders on Sunday...that's great...but for today, why do fans have to wait until 4 p.m. to watch?
It's not so much that the Masters doesn't want the front 9 on TV - a lot of their reasons for limiting TV time swirl around tradition and the fact a tighter window for viewership usually means higher TV ratings. Augusta did have to rewire the golf course to better show the front nine action, and they did that this year in conjunction with lengthening the holes and revamping the course...Woodbury, Minnesota:
Who do you think will finish in the Top Ten starting with the winner?

Tom Clark:
How can you look past Tiger Woods? You have to start any discussion of who will win with him. He is the best. And he loves Augusta. And he loves the majors. And he's won this tournament twice. He'd be just the third person in Masters history to win back-to-back titles. All that being said, you can never just annoint someone champion at Augusta. There are too many variables. My choice for the green jacket? PHIL MICKELSON. For once and all, I'd like the nagging question of "when will you win your first major?" to be put to rest for Mickelson. He has the game. He has the length off the tee, the soft touch and believe me, he wants all those tired questions to stop as well. People point to Mickelson's risk-taking mentality as his greatest fault in big tournaments, but I think he's going to stare down those demons this year and finally break through....Hickory, NC:
Wtih the extension of the course, does Augusta National plan to have "rough" this year?

Tom Clark:
Augusta never calls it "rough"...they prefer the "second cut"..but it's just a fancy way of saying "rough"...no, no changes were made to grow the rough longer - Masters officials prefer minimal rough, so players are not afraid to use driver off the tee. They think that is the way the game was meant to be played. Augusta lengthened the course this year because players were hitting it too far and scoring too low....one easy way officials could have brought the score down would have been to make the rough more difficult, as it is at US Open tournaments, but at the Masters, they want players swinging away...Los Angeles:
Does the course favor a high or low ball hitter, fader or drawer?

Tom Clark:
Certainly players that hook the ball as a righthander are in better shape...that's one reason why Lee Trevino never liked the Masters, since he had a natural fade...that is also why many believe lefthanders are at a disadvantage at Augusta...but don't tell Phil Mickelson that - he likes the course layout just fine...Charlotte, NC:
What do you think of scott McCarron chances this week at the Masters...he has been playing we'll in his last few tournaments, he's my sleeper

Tom Clark:
Well, he has been playing well, but I just checked the leaderboard, and McCarron is 2 over through 9 holes...that's not always a bad thing - USA TODAY studied the scoring route the past 20 champions took, and only one winner led the tournament after the first round...Ian Woosnam was 31st after the first round in 1991 before going on to win.Stockton, CA:
Can Tiger repeat? Who else can claim the green jacket on the longer course?

Tom Clark:
Tiger can certainly repeat. He's won five of the last nine major golf tournaments....by now, most fans understand that the lengthening of the course was certainly not meant to "Tiger proof" it..if anything, the changes help Tiger since he is such a long hitter. By lengthening it, the shorter hitters may find themselves in dire straits, lowering the number of players who can take the green jacket...When you think length off the tee, the first guy that comes to mind is John Daly, the PGA Tour's longest hitter ..Daly is back in the Masters field this year after a few years down in the dumps, and he is a great wildcard choice to be a factor on Sunday...imagine a Tiger-Daly shootout on Sunday...that would be coolHank from St Paul:
A lot has been said about the long hitter having the edge here but don't you think the added length could produce more erratic shots and swing it back to center for the Faxon's of the world?

Tom Clark:
Well, as our bonus section says loud and clear, the Masters always comes down to who can manage the treacherous greens. We know Faxon can manage them, and if he or another great putter gets hot on the greens, they will be a factor. By the way, I can shamelessly plug the Masters Bonus Section again when I tell you Brad Faxon gives putting tips and analyzes Augusta exclusively for us and you readers in that section...Ann Arbor, MI:
A lot of folks are pulling for Charlie Mahnken. But does he have the length?

Tom Clark:
He's a Cinderella boy, coming out of nowhere, about to become the Masters champion....Charlie Mahnken, sure he's long, but he isn't in the tournament...I think he's a 14 handicapper somewhere in the midwest..PHILA PA:
WHICH HOLES DO THEY USE FOR THE WEDNESDAYS, NINE HOLE PAR 3 COURSE

Tom Clark:
That fun tournament is played on a separate Par 3 course on the Augusta National grounds.Ann Arbor, MI:
If you were to take pieces from different players to build the perfect golfer to win the Masters what would you choose?

Tom Clark:
Can I just take one big hunk of Tiger Woods?Dublin OH:
Technology does play a big role in today's game. How much influence does it really have over pure skill? Give me a Persimmon wood and a Bull's Eye putter and I will score as well as if not better... sign me 4 Handicapper for 20 years!

Tom Clark:
The inherent challenges of golf still are the great equalizer. Technology hasn't completely overwhelmed it yet. Yes, better players can hit the new balls farther using the new clubs, and that means better approach shots into greens, but a player has to be able to putt the ball into the hole, and that is still mostly up to the player's own skill. Short games, ability to scramble, hit the ball straight and use the proper strategy to attack the golf course are still mostly up to the player....the day when technology makes it so weekend hackers can shoot under par on great courses, there will be a huge problem with golf...but as it is, only the great players can dominate golf courses...Atlanta,Ga:
Do you think its fair to ask past Masters winners to step aside from competition?

Tom Clark:
No. I don't like the fact that Augusta National went to those lengths this year. For those who don't know, all Masters Champions were always invited to play in the tournament each year, regardless of age...but this year, because officials felt some of the oldtimers were not equipped to play competitively, they asked them to step aside and not play this year, thus ending the longstanding tradition. I liked that tradition....what are the past champions harming by playing? It was a nice perk to winning the championship...Salt Lake City, UT:
Most of the golfers on the tour endorse various brands of golf equipment. What is your opinion as to whether certain brands or designs of equipment really make a difference in golfing ability.

Tom Clark:
Certainly different brand names have come out with revolutionary equipment that has changed the game....the Titleist Pro V1 golf ball was all the rage last year...now most companies have similar balls to it...but yes, at times the brand can make a differenceleesburg va:
is it true that some of the pros practice thier putting in thier garage to simulate how hard and fast the greens are at augusta?

Tom Clark:
Yes, some have said they do that...I think it was Sam Snead who once said putting at Augusta was like putting on the roof of your car.Dallas, TX :
All the talk this year has been on the increased length of Augusta. Even though there is no rough to speak of you still have to drive the ball straight and your iron shots have to be in a certain part of the green in order to have a chance to make a putt.

Tom Clark:
Is this Jeopardy? Are you providing the answer and I'll ask the question? hehe..yes, what you said.Comment from Tom Clark:
Shark alert! Greg Norman is 2 under through 13...imagine if he has a chance on Sunday..will he fall apart again, or could he pull a Jack Nicklaus miracle late in his 40s?
Houston, Texas:
Of all the holes that have been revamped, which poses the greatest new challenge?

Tom Clark:
I believe no. 11 and no. 18 will be the most interesting changes. 18 in particular had been reduced to a pitch and putt by long hitters...now, by pushing the tee box way back, it might be the most difficult closing hole in golf....Cleveland,OH:
Do you think Tiger Woods could play and excel at another sport?

Tom Clark:
I hear he's not too agile on the basketball court...with his tremendous sporting focus and competitiveness, he probably could be good at anything he does, but since he started hitting a golf ball well at age 2, and he has such a burning desire to play golf at the highest possible level, I don't think Tiger will ever pull a Michael Jordan by quitting golf and taking on another pro sport...I do think Tiger would be a good bowler.Des Moines, Iowa:
Why is Sergio Garcia not playing in the tournament?

Tom Clark:
Sergio is playing...he is 1-under after 2 holes....I think you'll see his name on the leaderboard on Sunday..his Spanish predecessors, Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal, have four total green jackets....I think Sergio will add to this total eventually, maybe even this year....I wonder if his girlfriend Martina Hingis is in Augusta?Comment from Tom Clark:
Thanks for all your questions...stay tuned to golf.usatoday.com (and link to a great online real time leaderboard) for all the action at Augusta...and remember to pick up today's USA TODAY newspaper for a Masters Bonus Section on Augusta's greens, plus read the paper tomorrow and Monday for a complete look at the Masters. Have fun watching the tournament this weekend..and remember one fact we discovered this week: of the last 11 champions, all were in the final pairing on Sunday...so where they finish the third round Saturday could tell the story....see ya!
Comment from Tom Clark:
Thanks for all your questions...stay tuned to golf.usatoday.com (and link to a great online real time leaderboard) for all the action at Augusta...and remember to pick up today's USA TODAY newspaper for a Masters Bonus Section on Augusta's greens, plus read the paper tomorrow and Monday for a complete look at the Masters. Have fun watching the tournament this weekend..and remember one fact we discovered this week: of the last 11 champions, all were in the final pairing on Sunday...so where they finish the third round Saturday could tell the story....see ya!